


Truth

by hawthorn_and_holly (bigblueboxat221b)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, Meddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 04:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20333959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigblueboxat221b/pseuds/hawthorn_and_holly
Summary: Narcissa wants to meet her son's new boyfriend, and when Draco appears and asks Harry to help, he doesn't examine the details too closely. After all, isn't this what he wanted?





	Truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Black_Dawn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Dawn/gifts).

> Thank you, Daynaan-Black-Dawn for commissioning this! I love a 'fake relationship' story, and this little idea grew beautifully with Harry and Draco's help. I hope you enjoy it!

“Potter.”

Harry froze for a second. The voice was familiar, but it wasn’t exactly the same as he remembered. It lacked the self-confidence, the lazy drawl he always associated with all the Malfoys. Although, he had to admit to himself, Draco hadn’t been like that last time they’d seen each other. Seven years of association were difficult to erase, however. And anyway, what would a Malfoy be doing here, in his broomstick workshop? He and Draco hadn’t seen each other in months; a few words shared in a pub they happened to be at before the crowd drew them apart, and since then, nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Harry turned, leaning against the bench behind him. “Malfoy. What can I do for you?”

Draco looked different, Harry realised, and it wasn’t just the haircut. The arrogant tilt of his chin was gone, replaced with something far more…normal. Not that ‘normal’ could ever really describe Draco Malfoy, Harry thought to himself. The icy blond hair and blue eyes had always been arresting, but the ghost of a five o’clock shadow and a couple of years filling out his shoulders had made him even more appealing in Harry’s eyes. Not that he’d noticed in the pub either, he reminded himself. He’d barely noticed at _all._

Merlin, he needed to _forget_ about this.

“Potter,” Malfoy repeated. He frowned a little. “Harry.”

Harry felt his eyebrows rise. He couldn’t remember when he and Malfoy had ever used first names with each other.

“Did you want something?” Harry said. He was curious now.

Draco – if he was going to be using first names, might as well get used to it – cleared his throat. “Can we…” he flicked his eyes to the door. “Look, I want to ask you something. Can we close the door for a bit?”

Harry looked at Draco steadily. His first instinct was to scoff and turn Draco out, but he held his tongue. The last few years had taught him a measure of patience. He’d learned to stop and listen to people before responding, and this could be interesting. Without changing expression, he waved one hand, closing the door and pulling the blinds across his window.

“Okay,” Harry said, in as neutral a tone as he could manage.

Draco nodded, rubbing his hands together. He looked nervous, Harry thought absently. Not something he ever associated with Draco. This really _could_ be interesting.

“My mother,” Draco began. He frowned and stopped, flicking his eyes up to Harry and back.

“Just tell me,” Harry said.

“She wants me to get married,” Draco blurted. “Keeps bringing witches around, even though I’ve told her I’m not interested.”

“In getting married?” Harry asked.

“In witches,” Draco replied, his voice heavy with meaning. “At all.”

“Right,” Harry said, ignoring the pang that said _It could happen, then._ “So…why are you telling me this?”

Draco sighed. “I told her I have a boyfriend, so she’d stop, but now she wants to meet him.” Harry nodded, still not sure where he fit in. “I told her it was you,” Draco blurted. “That it’s been a secret for a while. And she wants you to come over for dinner.”

Harry nodded. He swallowed hard. He was beginning to see why Draco was here, and it was disturbingly appealing. “So you want me to come to dinner with you. And your mum.”

“Yes,” Draco said quietly.

“As your boyfriend,” Harry said, his heart speeding up at the very idea.

“Yes,” Draco said resignedly. Harry could see his shoulders drop and he started to turn away. He’d obviously decided Harry wouldn’t agree and was already walking out the door.

“Okay,” Harry said, the reply slipping out before Draco could go.

“Seriously?” Draco replied. He turned back to Harry, hope blossoming in his eyes.

“Um, yeah,” Harry said, half regretting his decision already. “When…when is it?”

“Tomorrow night,” Draco said. “I can pick you up, if you want?”

“Okay,” Harry said faintly. He watched Draco wave awkwardly before disappearing out the door. He blinked in the now silent space. Merlin, what was he doing?

+++

“So she thinks we’ve been seeing each other for how long?” Harry asked.

Draco glanced across the dark evening air at him. “Six months,” he said.

“Okay,” Harry said. He frowned. “It might just be easier if we both…go along with each other? Rather than trying to figure out all the details now.”

“Yes,” Draco said, and his rigid bearing relaxed a little. They were standing in the courtyard of Harry’s workshop, preparing to Apparate to Juniper’s Wood, the small town in which Mrs. Malfoy now lived. “Ready then?”

“No,” Harry said, and smiled at Draco. “I think we both need to relax.”

“Relax,” Draco repeated.

“And,” Harry said, his heart pounding hard, “we need to practice one thing.”

Draco blinked at him. “We do?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded. With a deep breath, he took Draco’s hand. It was warner than he’d anticipated; he always thought of Draco in terms of coolness, but his skin was as warm as Harry’s. When Draco looked down, and then back up, Harry stepped in, holding his eyes, allowing enough time for Draco to realise what he was doing before he tilted his head a little, pressing his mouth to Draco’s. They stood for a moment, until Harry felt Draco relax into it, a hand stealing onto his hip. It was glorious, everything he’d hoped for. If nothing else, he could take this memory away with him tonight.

“Okay?” Harry asked, when the kiss broke.

“Yes,” Draco replied. A beat passed as they stood very close, and then without warning, Draco tightened his hand on Harry’s and turned into the air, pulling Harry through to his mother’s garden. The sensation would never be fun, and Harry found himself gripping Draco’s hand, gasping as they landed in one piece.

“Sorry,” Draco said, his free hand coming up to rest on Harry’s back. “I think I panicked a bit.”

“’S fine,” Harry said. He looked up, grinning at Draco. “I’ve never liked Apparating. Makes me feel sick.”

“Me too,” Draco replied, and their eyes met for a moment in understanding. Harry’s stomach swooped, and he turned to look at the cottage garden in which he was standing. Narcissa’s garden. The idea didn’t make him feel much better, but Draco squeezing his hand did.

“She wants to see you,” Draco murmured. “She’s different since my father…” he trailed off.

“I heard,” Harry said. “I’m sorry.”

“’S fine,” Draco said, unconsciously parroting Harry. “She’ll be watching us. Should we go in?”

“Sure,” Harry said. He took a deep breath, then looked at Draco “Let’s go.”

It was more or less as awkward as he’d imagined, though Draco was wonderful, keeping the conversation between the three of them going, smoothly avoiding anything too uncomfortable.

By the time they sat down to their entrees, Harry’s anxiety had eased somewhat. He and Draco sat opposite each other, Narcissa serving from the head of the table between them. The tomato soup wasn’t the best Harry had ever had but it was good, and he and Draco smiled nervously at each other across the white tablecloth.

“So Harry,” Narcissa said, her spoon still sitting untouched. “I understand you have been interested in my son for a long time?”

Draco winced at the blunt question, but Harry was happy to answer it. “Years,” he said happily, still eating his soup. “I was amazed when he came into my shop, asking for help.”

Harry frowned. Why had he said that? From Draco’s face, he was surprised at the answer, too.

“And Draco, dear,” Narcissa asked, “Why was it you have not had a relationship since graduating school?”

“I’ve been in love with Harry for a long time,” Draco said, the look of horror on his face at his frank admission clear to see. His eyes locked on Harry’s, his panic mirrored there. What was Narcissa doing?

“Yes, there’s Veritaserum in your soup,” Narcissa said conversationally. A wave of magic flowed over them, and Harry could see from Draco’s wide eyes that his own frozen limbs were matched on the other side of the table too. Draco’s mum clearly knew exactly what was going on, and a thread of worry grew in Harry – what did she have planned?

_Oh, Merlin..._

“And Harry,” Narcissa said, turning her attention smoothly from one to the other, “You agreed to come today because…”

“Draco asked,” Harry said promptly.

“And?” Narcissa prompted.

“And I thought I might have the chance to kiss him if we were pretending to be boyfriends,” Harry told her, the words coming out of his mouth as soon as he thought them. He could see Draco’s shock on the far side of the table.

“I thought so,” Narcissa said nonchalantly, as though none of this was a revelation to her. “Draco, tell me about you and Harry. How often have you actually seen him in the last six months?”

“I see Harry every day,” Draco said, closing his eyes, even as his mouth continued to speak. “He walks past my office on the way to his shop. Until two days ago, I hadn’t spoken to him in five months.”

Harry’s mouth dropped open. Draco saw him every day? He hadn’t seen Draco since the pub. The blush colouring Draco’s skin told Harry that this was not a fact Draco had been planning on sharing.

“How do you feel about my son?” Narcissa prompted Harry, though her eyes were locked on her son.

Harry winced at the truth that came out of his mouth despite his effort. “I love him,” he said. He saw Draco’s eyes go wide and to his surprise tears blurred the blue irises.

“And Draco?” Narcissa asked, still watching her son.

“I love him,” Draco echoed.

“Good,” Narcissa. She waved a hand, and the bonds holding Harry disappeared. “I’ll leave you two to discuss this further. The Veritaserum should be in effect for a while longer.” She smiled at her son, and to Harry’s surprise, at him too. They both watched her leave, as still as if they were still bound by her spell. Half a dozen long slow breaths, and Harry looked at Draco.

“Well,” Harry said. “We were both telling the truth, then.”

“Yes,” Draco replied.

“What should we do?” Harry asked. He held Draco’s eyes. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to take you home with me,” Draco said. His eyes closed in embarrassment at words he clearly would not have spoken had the Veritaserum not been in effect.

Harry’s breath caught at the idea. Draco really wanted…of course he did. He couldn’t lie if he wanted to. And neither could Harry.

“Draco,” he said, allowing the urgency to colour his voice. “Ask me what I want.”

Draco didn’t say anything, his head shaking slightly, the barest of denials.

“Please,” Harry whispered. “Ask me now.”

Slowly, Draco’s eyes opened, and he looked at Harry uncertainly. “What…what do you want to do?”

Harry didn’t have to think; the potion did it for him, shaping the words in his mouth. “I want to go home with you.” He held Draco’s eyes, willing him to remember that Harry couldn’t lie if he wanted to. “For more than one night. I want to…be with you.”

“You do?” Draco whispered.

“I do,” Harry said. He grinned. “You know I can’t lie to you.”

“No,” Draco agreed, and finally, Harry saw a tiny flare of hope in the blue eyes. “Well, in that case…” He stood, offering his hand over the table.

Harry smiled, tangling their fingers. “I think your mother’s going to be unbearably smug,” he said.

“I think she already is,” Draco murmured. “Home, then?”

“Home,” Harry agreed, a flutter in his stomach at the smile on Draco’s face.

_Home._


End file.
